Tenant Wairangiora Tahana ordered to pay nearly $8000 for damage and rubbish at rental property

Wairangiora Tahana left behind "significant" rubbish, but the property was missing chattels that included lightbulbs, toilet roll holders, curtains, smoke alarms, and the internet modem. Photo / Stock Image 123rf

A landlord visiting their rental property found lightbulbs, toilet roll holders, curtains, smoke alarms and the internet modem missing.

Rubbish had piled up, there were holes in the doors and walls, the oven was broken and the kitchen’s rangehood was in the lounge.

One hole was the size of a door.

Wairangiora Tahana, the tenant responsible, has been ordered to pay the landlord $7822 in compensation for the damage, rubbish, and cleaning. The payment also accounted for some outstanding water rates.

During the Tenancy Tribunal, which only the landlord attended, evidence was given that there was a “significant” amount of rubbish left behind when the tenancy ended in July.

The landlord, who was granted name suppression, provided invoices for cleaning of $615, rubbish removal of $1125, and garden waste removal of $195.

The tenant had also failed to return the keys, meaning the landlord had to pay $119 to replace the locks.

Other missing chattels included a toilet roll holder, door stops, a backdoor pad bolt, and internet modem. The landlord also had to replace light bulbs and smoke alarms.

The landlord said holes were made in the walls and doors throughout the property.

Evidence showed holes in the hallway, bedrooms, lounge, and dining room. In some instances, the holes were large and in one instance, the the size of a door.

There were also several door handles missing.

The landlord told the tribunal most of the large holes were likely intentional, as the size, together with the number of them throughout the house, indicated intentional acts to cause damage, such as punching or kicking the walls or doors.

The landlord repaired the damage for $4513.27 and tried to claim insurance for the work. However, as each hole was considered a new event, the insurance company said 12 excesses would be payable.

At $550 per excess, it would have cost more than the repair work.

The tribunal found no evidence to suggest the damage was accidental and the tenant was liable for the $4513.27 repair bill.

The landlord also provided photos showing curtains, and curtain rails or tracks, were damaged or removed.

While the curtains were more than six years old, they had been in “good condition”.

The landlord replaced the curtains for $395, and the tenant was ordered to pay $197.50 towards the cost.

During the tenancy, the landlord provided a new oven, but by the end of the tenancy the oven did not work and was irreparable.

The tenant hadn’t raised any oven issues and the landlord told the tribunal the damage was caused through “careless use” by the tenant.

The landlord replaced the oven for $544, and the tenant was ordered to pay the full amount.

The rangehood had been removed from the wall and was in the lounge. The landlord said they weren’t told about any issues with it, and the damage was also caused by careless use.

The landlord replaced the rangehood for $162, but as it was 10 or more years old, the tribunal awarded $54 towards the replacement cost to account for “betterment and depreciation”.

The tenant was ordered to pay $7822.06 to the landlord.

Hannah Bartlett is a Tauranga-based Open Justice reporter at NZME. She previously covered court and local government for the Nelson Mail, and before that was a radio reporter at Newstalk ZB.